Expect open contest as unsettled hosts chase victory

Champions League first qualifying round second leg
5pm Tuesday

Tallinn’s 2-0 loss in Malta in the first leg of this Champions League qualifier cost coach Alexander Pushtov his job and the Estonian champions look in disarray.

Pushtov’s replacement can’t take charge of the second leg against Hibernians because he lacks the right Uefa badge which means Dimitri Skiperski has been thrust into the hotseat.

Those who believe in honeymoon periods might think FC Infonet are worth a punt at a shade of odds-on although it’s worth pointing out that they aren’t on home soil, either, with this match being played at A Le Coq Arena, home of rivals Flora.

Those are the negatives. As for positives, the weather in Tallinn won’t be anywhere near as searing as it was in the central Mediterranean last Tuesday when the Baltic boys melted in the last 20 minutes or so.

Before that, however, they had looked decent but paid a hefty price for missing a fifth-minute penalty, striking the woodwork and wasting another couple of glorious openings.

Given how many chances were created last week it was a mystery that the match yielded only two goals and over 2.5 at 6-5 looks the best bet in the return.

The Estonian champions are a free-scoring bunch as a rule – they had scored 28 goals in seven matches prior to the trip to Malta – while Hibernians’ Premier League matches in their title-winning season averaged 2.9 goals per game.

And if FC Tallinn want to overturn the deficit they are going to have go for broke from the off which should lead to an open contest.

Recommendation
Over 2.5 goals
1pt 6-5 Betfair